RIP Sonic logo?
Why Sonic Branding Needs a Rebrand of Its Own
The world is digital and our screens are filled with video, swipeable stories and sound-on content. In that world the way brands use audio is under scrutiny. Or at least it should be.
For many people the term sonic branding still evokes the memory of cringey radio jingles or those five-note TV stingers from the early 2000s. A nostalgic idea that is not only outdated but holding us back. Sound has always been this secret powerfull-yet-underleveraged element of brand identity. Now its power is kind of accepted-yet-still-underleveraged: as our digital environments become more immersive, mobile and fragmented, sound as an holistic approach is showing up as the missing piece in many branding conversations.
It’s time to retire the old model. And rebrand sonic branding itself.
From Jingle to Journey
The classic praised sonic logo —short, hummable, static— once made perfect sense. It mirrored the structure of traditional advertising: one message, one channel, one neat mnemonic. But in a world of apps, reels, podcasts, smart speakers and micro-content, a static sound can no longer carry the weight of a modern brand experience.
Brands exist across platforms, moments and moods. They show up in TikTok scrolls, unboxing videos, podcasts, push notifications, livestreams, point-of-sale taps, app interactions and even silent contexts where a well-timed sound can break through. We’ve moved from the “hear this once” to “experience that everywhere”. In this landscape, the holy Single Jingle —no matter how sticky— couldn’t do it all.
The Rise of the Brand Anthem (and of its Many Remix)
Recognizing this shift, brands took the sonic logo and jingle and stretched it. Instead of just a few key sounds, they commissioned a master melody, then crafted variations of it: slowed down, jazzed up, translated into different instruments or cultural styles. Think global brand scores reimagined for different campaigns, emotions, Mother's day or regional identities. Few exceptions, for everything else, there's Mastercard.
This melody-centric model —elevating one tune into a brand's full musical DNA— is a huge step forward. It has added flexibility, emotional range, and more storytelling potential, a masterclass in showing versatility and cross-culture adaptability. But it also comes with limits.
No matter how many remixes you make, it’s still one melody. One source. One voice trying to speak a hundred languages. Imagine a DJ set with only one track remixed over and over again.
In the world we’re heading into, that' not quite enough.
Enter: The Audio Biotope
The next evolution of sonic branding isn’t about tweaking a tune but about building a living, breathing audio ecosystem.
One that goes beyond music. That blends UI and UX sounds, speech, ambient textures, branded silence, user-generated content, foley, and emotional context. A fluid sonic ecosystem can adapt to the moment, the medium, and the mood—without losing its core identity.
It’s not about a chord progression or melody or a riff that represents your brand. It’s about a system that behaves like your brand. Smart, modular, expressive, and emotionally fluent.
So, Is the Sonic Logo Dead?
Not quite. So far for a catchy article title. But the sonic logo has definitely been downgraded from front and center stage to part of the broader big band.
Of course Sonic Logos still exist. And when done right, they’re damn effective. But they’ve moved from starring role to supporting cast. You still hear them at the end of a podcast or YouTube pre-roll. But more often, they nowadays show up in places like app launch sounds, smart device interactions, or as a subtle watermark embedded within longer branded content.
It’s a clear shift from music to experience, from “something to recognize us by” to “something to feel us through.”
This is where the most forward-thinking brands might want to head. Not with a jingle. Not with a remix. But with an audio identity as fluid and dimensional as the brand itself.
Curious what this looks like in practice?
We’ll explore that next.